ALSO TODAY: Morneau offers more details on large employer support — Industry members get briefed on cyber threats to Canadian COVID-19 researchers

Amid rising cross-aisle tensions over whether to prolong the current parliamentary shutdown, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to face his opposition rivals from his usual front-row seat in the Commons today as the SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC — or, at least, the 30-odd MPs selected by their respective parties to be physically present in the Chamber — gathers for its weekly in-person session this afternoon.(12 Noon EDT)

Unlike last week, there are no plans to recall the House itself to deal with time-sensitive COVID-19-related legislation, which means that after the extended two-hour ministerial question period wraps up, MPs will have an additional two hours and fifteen minutes to share their thoughts on both the ongoing pandemic and the government’s efforts to manage it.

At the same time that debate is unfolding in the Chamber, however, a high-stakes political drama will be playing out behind the curtains as the Liberals attempt to secure opposition support to extend the nine-week House hiatus beyond next Monday, when the motion suspending regular proceedings is automatically set to expire.

While Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has made it clear he wants to see a return to regular House sittings, albeit with a limited number of MPs to respect social distancing conventions, it’s not clear whether he can count on the support of the other two opposition parties.

Speaking with reporters yesterday, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet suggested that his party will only back the Conservatives’ call to reopen the Commons if the government continues to ignore its previous commitments to increase support for seniors, as well as ensure the emergency benefit doesn’t make it more difficult for farmers and other agricultural producers to hire seasonal workers this summer.

For his part, New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh has been even more circumspect in outlining his party’s position on bringing MPs back to Ottawa.

Both party leaders are expected to make themselves available to the media ahead of today’s special committee meeting, with Singh expected to hit the West Block press theatre at 8:30 AM, followed by Blanchet at 10 AM.

As for the prime minister, before heading back to the Chamber, he’ll deliver his daily update from outside Rideau Cottage (11 AM).

Also on his official itinerary: A check-in with his Barbados counterpart Mia Mottley, a virtual appearance at a meeting of the United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Group and the weekly caucus confab, which will, of course, also take place via webcam.

Finally, Finance Minister Bill Morneau has booked a morning media briefing in his Toronto ministerial office to offer more details on his government’s recently-unveiled plan to expand the suite of COVID-19 emergency financial support programs to include “large employers,” including publicly traded companies. (9:30 AM)

OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT

MiningWatch releases a new report on the impact that deep sea mining will have on Pacific nations — which, as per the advisory, will be “extensive, severe and last for generations.”

ON THE VIRTUAL COMMITTEE CIRCUIT

HEALTH members continue to examine Canada’s response to the pandemic with an expert academic panel that includes University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran, University of Toronto epidemiology professor David Fisman and former Ontario chief medical officer Richard Schabas. Also on the witness list for today: Bluedot CEO Kamran Khan and Dynacare CEO Vito Ciciretto. (4 – 7 PM)

Over at INDUSTRY, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security head Scott Jones will brief MPs on the threat posed to Canadian medical researchers by foreign hacker during a session that will also include presentations from the RCMP’s anti-fraud office and the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. (3- 5 PM)

On the Senate side, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY hears from the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association and the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada as senators launch their own real-time study into the ongoing COVID-19 response. (11:30 AM)

Due to the ongoing parliamentary shutdown, most House and Senate committee meetings are suspended until regular sittings resume.